The “Abkhazian Guard” created by the decree of Vladislav Ardzinba opened fire near the village of Okhurei in Ochamchire district against the National Guard of the Ministry of Defense of Georgia which entering the territory of Abkhazia to protect the Sochi-Ingiri railway section.

The State Council decided to send a National Guard to Abkhazia to protect the Sochi-Ingiri railway section after reaching an agreement with Vladislav Ardzinba on August 11. Despite the agreement, the Abkhazian Guard resisted the Georgian National Guard moving through Abkhazia in the Ochamchire and Gulrifshi districts and the city of Sukhumi, leading to hostilities in Abkhazia.

The military confrontation in Abkhazia lasted for 13 months and 13 days and ended on September 27, 1993, with the fall of Sokhumi and the defeat of the Georgian Armed Forces.

On September 16, 1993, the Abkhaz side violated the July 27 Sochi Agreement on a Ceasefire and Separation of Forces and launched an assault on Sukhumi. The battle for Sokhumi lasted for 11 days. Abkhaz-Russian, North Caucasian and Cossack units stormed the Abkhaz Council of Ministers building on the morning of September 27 and captured the chairman of the Abkhaz Council of Ministers, Zhiuli Shartava, the mayor of Sukhumi, Guram Gabeskiria, and 27 members of the Council of Ministers – they were all shot down.

The complete defeat of the Georgian Armed Forces was followed by ethnic cleansing of the Georgian population in the region. More than 250,000 surviving ethnic Georgians, Greeks and other minorities have become refugees from Abkhazia.